Joel Schulz of Fort Lupton, Colorado marked 220.5 on CD Little Dog to win the $15,000 Amateur finals Wednesday at the NCHA Western National Championships, presented by 6666 Ranch.

Schulz came out of the go-round in a four-way tie for the second highest score, with a 215 behind Stephen Harrington’s 216 on Badger Poo.

He drew fourth in the second bunch of the 27-horse finals for a 4 1/2-point win over Noel Kleinhaus on Starlights Fancy.

It was Schulz’s first major event win, although he and CD Little Dog were finalists in four classes – the $20,000 Non-Pro, $2,000 Rider, $10,000 Amateur and $5,000 Novice Non-Pro – at last year’s NCHA Western National Championships. He is also entered in the $50,000 Amateur later this week.

Bred by Mary Garner, CD Little Dog is a 9-year-old gelding by CD Royal out of Xenalena, by Travalena. He’ll go over the $50,000 mark in lifetime earnings with his Western Nationals paycheck.

Noel Kleinhaus’ reserve champion Starlights Fancy is a 19-year-old Grays Starlight mare that has produced two money earners. The mare carried Raley-Mae Radomske in the 2001 Western National Championships.

See full results.